Parlor stall arrangement for milking and feeding cattle



Sept. 15, 1959 R. G. FERRIS 2,904,001

PARLOR STALL ARRANGEMENT FOR MILKING AND FEEDING CATTLE Original FiledOct. 14. 1957 :5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG I I7 38 36 3e '6 2(8 37X I9 as 32 30L,

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ROBERT .G. FERRIS Sept. 15, 1959 R. G. FERYRIIS PARLOR STALL ARRANGEMENTFOR MILKING AND FEEDING CATTLE Original Filed oct. 14. 1957 3Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORE ROBERT G. FERRIS ATVT'YS PARLOR STALLARRANGEMENT FOR MILKING AND FEEDING CATTLE Original Filed Oct. 14, 1957R. G. FERRIS Sept. 15, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR: ROBERT G. FERRISBY ATT'YS United States Patent PARLOR STALL ARRANGEMENT FOR MILKING ANDFEEDING CATTLE Robert G. Ferris, Harvard, Ill., assign'or to Starline,Inc., a corporation of Illinois Original application October 14, 1957,Serial No. 689,796. Divided and this application August 15, 1958, SerialNo. 755,274

3 Claims. (Cl. 119-14.03)

This invention relates to a parlor stall arrangement for milking andfeeding cattle and is a divisional application of application No.689,796, filed October 14, 1957.

Parlor stalls are used almost entirely for machine milking of cattle,and as a rule the milking machine is fastened to a portion of the stallframe. Thus, it is desirable that the cow be as closely confined aspossible by the stalls so that she cannot move enough to interfere withoperation of the milking machine.

One type of parlor stall has an entrance and an exit gate both at therear of the stall, with a feed trough in the stall at the end adjacentthe exit gate. Such stalls have commonly been made with an enclosure thefront portion of which, opposite the gates, is straight; so that thefront portion may be placed very close and parallel to a common wallwhich separates the cow stall floor from an operators alley which is ata lower level.

It is also common to arrange milking parlor stalls generally end to endalongside the operators alley, and the stall gates are arranged so thatthey may be manipulated by an operator in the alley to let cows in andout of the several stalls in the milking parlor. Each stall has a feedtrough at the exit end, and it is common practice to place a feedmetering device alongside the feed trough where the operator may meterthe feed for each cow from the operators alley. He may also handle themilk buckets, teat cups, and other equipment from the operators alley.

A parlor stall of the type described in co-pending application No.689,796 eliminates the straight front panel for the stall enclosurewhich, to the best of applicants knowledge, has been standard in parlorstall constructions; and instead uses a front enclosure panel meanswhich has two panel portions disposed at a large obtuse angle withrespect to each other. Opposite the apex of the angle formed by thefront panel portions are closely adjacent posts for the entrance andexit gates, and these gates when closed also form a large obtuse anglewhich is substantially identical with the angle formed by the frontpanel portions. The two ends of the stall are made substantially inaccordance with the disclosure of Robert G. Ferris Patent 2,688,309.

A stall of this construction also permits an arrangement of the milkingparlor which eliminates certain undesirable features which werenecessarily found in parlors using stalls having a straight frontenclosure panel, and in which the stalls were arranged generally end toend. The feed meters used with the feed boxes for the individual stallsmust be at a height where they are easily handled by the operator in thealley; and this places them in such a position that the operator must becareful not to injure himself on them as he moves about in the alley.Some milking parlor layouts minimize the problem of feed meter locationby orienting the parlor stalls with their longitudinal center lines inclosely parallel planes, and providing the cow floor with a saw toothwall which runs along the front of a stall and then inwardly along anend of the stall, then makes a right angle turn to go along "ice thefront of the next stall. The feed meters may then be positioned at theends of the stalls where they do not extend into the open, traveled partof the operators alley. Such an arrangement is generally undesirablebecause it produces corners from which it is diflicult to remove refusefor thorough cleaning of the parlor in accordance with sanitaryrequirements.

This type of parlor stall construction may be arranged in a milkingparlor in two different ways, either one of which places the feedmetering device either entirely out of the traveled part of theoperators alley, or almost entirely out of it. At the same time, theoperators alley may be separated from the cow floor either by a straightcommon wall portion or by a common wall which forms a succession ofobtusely related planes which present no cleaning problem.

In the preferred arrangement, the common upright Wall between the cowfloor and the operators alley is straight, and the stalls are orientedwith the front panel which is across from the stall entrance gateparallel to the common Wall. The obtuse angle between the two frontpanel portions thus causes the panel portion adjacent the feed box to beangled away from the common wall portion a sufficient distance that thefeed metering device may be wholly above the cow floor where it isentirely out of the operators way but may be easily reached from thealley.

In the second arrangement, the stalls are placed upon a commonlongitudinal center line; and the common wall which separates theoperators alley from the cow floor is formed with a succession ofobtusely related planes each of which is very close and substantiallyparallel to the immediately adjacent front panel portion of a stall.This construction results in shallow recesses adjacent the feed boxes onthe successive stalls, and the angle of the stall front wall panels issuch that almost the entire feed metering device is on the cow floorside of a vertical plane which passes through the most outwardlyprojecting parts of the common margin.

It may be seen that the present parlor layout, in either arrangement,positions the cows udder close to the operators alley, where theoperator may easily attach the teat cups of a milking machine.

Furthermore, where a pipeline system is used the carryoffline is alwaysparallel to the curb between the cow floor and the operators alley, andin the present parlor layout the cows head is farther from the pipeline,where she cannot bump it. In the arrangement using the curb withobtusely related planes the pipeline is parallel to that portion of thecurb which is adjacent the rear of the stall, so again the cows head isaway from the pipeline. In each case the longitudinal center-line of thestall, and thus the cows spine, is positioned at an angle with respectto the curb line rather than being either parallel or perpendicular toit as in other parlor arrangements.

The arrangement using a straight curb has one additional advantage inthat the feed box is spaced from the operators alley so that feedscattered by the cow lands on the cow floor rather than in the operatorsalley, and thus simplifies cleaning.

The stall construction permits the cow to stand in a natural position,with the spine straight. Most parlor stalls either allow too greatmovement, or force the cow to curve the spine and bend the neck while inthe stall.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a rear elevational view of a cow stall constructed inaccordance with the co-pending application;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of such a cow stall;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of the preferred parlor stallarrangement with a feed metering device in 3 place, and showing thepositions of cows entering, leaving and confined in the stalls;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic plan view of the alternative form of parlorarrangement.

Referring 'tothe drawings in greater detail, and referring first toFigs. 1 and 2, a cow stall indicated generally-"at 5 is positioned on acow floor 6 which is separated from an operators alley 7 which isusually at a lower level than 'the cow floorby a common upright marginor wall 8'. Extending along the edge of the cow floor 6 is an upstandingcurb 9 which has anopening 10 through which an operator in the alley 7may readily apply the teat cups of a milking machine to the teats of acow in the stall.

'T he'stall takes the form of an enclosure which is supported on acenter post 11 at the front of the stall, an

entrance cornerpost 12, an exit corner post 13, an en- 'trance gate post14, and an exit gate post 15, all of which are set'in'the concrete. cowfloor 6. Conveniently, the corner post 12 and gate post 14 are theupright sides of an entrance gate arch 16, while the corner post 13 andthe gate post .15 form .the uprights of an exit gate aa'ch- 17. The gateposts 14 and 15 are connected by a pair of suitable short center rails18.

The body of the stall is formed by three parallel horizontal rails,indicated generally at 19, each of which is shaped in a particularmanner so that its ends and 21 may be secured, respectively, to thecorner posts 12 and 13 while its intermediate portion extends through aU bolt 22 by means of which it is secured to the center post 11.

Each of the rails 19 is bent to provide a first front panel portion 23which is opposite the entrance arch 16 and a second front panel portion24 which is opposite the :exit arch 17, and these front panel portionsare disposed :at atla'rge obtuse angle with respect to one another, the

apex of the angle-being at the U bolt 22 by means of .!which the rail isclamped to the center post 11. The

portion of the rail 19 adjacent the first front panel 23 is bent to forma straight end panel portion 25 which ter-' minates in the end portion20 secured to the corner post .12. At the opposite end of the rail 19,the front panel portion 24 merges into an arcuate enclosure 26 which hasone side 27 forming a straight, or substantially straight projection ofthe front panel portion 24, while the other side .of the arcuate portion26 terminates in the end portion 21 which is secured to the corner post13. Thus, the arcuate enclosure 26 may support a shield Z8 and feed box29,.

Hung on the gate post 14 in the entrance gate arch 16 is an entrancegate30 the free side 31 of which closes against, or immediately adjacent thecorner post 12; and hung on the gate post 15 in the exit gate arch 17 isan exit gate 32 the free side 33 of which closes against or adjacent thecorner post 13. Thus, the gates are pivoted adjacent upright axes.

The term adjacent axes is used herein to mean either next to or coaxial;as it is obvious that the structural principle of the stall is the samewhether the gates are on separate posts or a single post.

As seen in Fig. l, the gate 30 is provided with a chain and spring unit34, while the gate 32 is provided with a chain and spring unit 35 whichtend to open said gates. From the .center post 11 a cable or chain 36may be used to operate the gate 30, and a similar cable or chain 37maybe used to operate the gate 32. Each gate has a latch mechanism,indicated generally at 38, which latches it to thetop of its gate arch.This latch mechamsm may conveniently be of the type disclosed in FerrisPatent 2,668,-

- 351., alth u h othe a b used- Fig. 2 in the drawings is provided witha dot dash line cl which is the longitudinal center line of the parlorstall;

. it is seen that the stall is almost entirely symmetrical the a ex othe o tuse sash f m by the g arches 16 and 17 is directly opposite theapex of the angle formed by the front panel portions 23 and 24. Theground area enclosed by the parlor stall may be described as having theform of a rectangle which is flanked by a pair of triangles the heightsof which are very small relative to the lengths of their bases.Considering the rectangular area bounded by a'line intersecting thecorner posts 12 and 1 3 and a 'line parallel to said line whichintersects the front panel portions 23 and 24 directly opposite thecorner posts, each of the triangular areas has a height which is notquite half the width of the rectangle; so that the parlor stall 5 isalmost twice as wide at its central area as it is at the two ends. Thus,as seen in Figs. 3 and 4, each stall 5 may accommodate the barrel b of acow C at its wide central area, while the rump r of the cow is closelyconfined by the relatively narrow span between the first front panelportion 23 and the entrance gate 30, while the cows head h is positionedcomfortably above the feed box 29.

The improved parlor stall described is readily adaptable to two uniquemilking parlor arrangements of the present invention, which areillustrated in Figs. 3 and 4.

In the preferred arrangement of Fig. 3, the common margin or wall 8between cow floor 6 and the operators alley 7 is straight from end toend, and the stalls 5 are set with the first front panel portion 23parallel to the common margin 8, so that as seen in Fig. 3 said firstfront panel portions 23 of all the stalls are longitudinally alignedwith one another. Thus, when a cow C is confined in a stall 5, as is thecase with the center stall of Fig. 3, the cows udder is close enough tothe operator's alley 7 that the operator may readily reach the teats forattachment of the teat cups.

The angle of the second front panel portion 24 with respect to theportion 23- is such that the feed box 29 is a substantial distance fromthe common wall 8 and curbing 9 so that a feed metering device 39mounted above the rails 19. is entirely to the cow floor side of thecommon margin 8. Thus, while the handle 39a of the feed metering deviceis readily accessible to the operator standing in the alley 7, the feedmetering device is entirely clear of the alley and out of the way.

In the alternative parlor arrangement illustrated in Fig. 4, the parlorstalls'5 are positioned on a common center line, so that they are in atrue tandem arrangement instead of the modified tandem arrangement ofFig. 3. In this case it is necessary to form the common margin or wall 8between the cow floor 6 and the operators alley 7 in such a way that theportion of the common margin 8a which is adjacent the first front panel23 of each stall is generally parallel to said front panel. Thus, therelationship between the side of the operators alley 7 and the cow Cconfined in a stall 5 is the same as it is in the preferred arrangementof Fig. 3. Connecting the common wall portions 8a are wall portions 8!)which are parallel to the second front panels 24 of the stalls 5, sothat as seen in Fig. 4 the common margin or wall forms a succession ofobtusely related planes 8a and 8b.

In this parlor arrangement, the feed metering devices 39 for the stalls5 project into the operators alley 7, but due to the undulating, or flatzigzag form of the common margin between the alley and the cow floor ,6,the metering devices 39 are substantially entirely to the cow floor sideof the line connecting the apexes 3c of the obtusely related wallsegments 8a and 8b adjacent a single cow stall 5. Thus, while the feedmetering device extends into the operators alley, it is out of thenormal traveled part of the alley, and the operator is unlikely to bumphimself on it. The apexes 8c of the common margin are the points nearestthe center posts 11 of the stalls, and thus are also the points at whichthe common margin is nearest to the apexcs of the front panel angles ofall the stalls.

Comparison of Figs. 3 and 4 makes it apparent that in both arrangementsthe feed metering device is substantially entirely to the cow floor sideof a vertical plane which connects those portions of the common marginwhich are nearest the apexes of the front panel angles of all thestalls. Thus, whether the common margin is straight as seen in Fig. 3 orconsists of a succession of obtusely related planes as seen in Fig. 4,the feed metering devices 39 are entirely, or substantially entirely outof the way of the operator as he moves about in the alley 7, while beingreadily accessible to him.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness ofunderstanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understoodtherefrom, as modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A milking parlor arrangement comprising: an operators alley; anelevated cow floor alongside said alley and having an upright commonmargin therewith; a plurality of parlor stalls arranged on said cowfloor generally end to end, each stall having first and second frontpanel portions disposed in the form of a large obtuse angle the apex ofwhich is immediately adjacent said common margin, and at least the firstof said panel portions being in a plane generally parallel to theimmediately adjacent portion of said margin, each stall having a movableentrance gate opposite the first panel portion and a movable exit gate;a feed box in each stall at the end adjacent the exit gate; and a feedmetering device adjacent each feed box, the angle formed by the twofront panel portions of each stall being such that the feed meteringdevice is substantially entirely to the cow floor side of a verticalplane through those portions of the common margin Which are nearest theapexes of the angles formed by the front panel portions of all saidstalls.

2. A milking parlor arrangement comprising: a cow floor; a plurality ofparlor stalls arranged on said cow floor along a common longitudinalcenter line, each stall having first and second front panel portionsdisposed in the form of a large obtuse angle the apex of which isadjacent a margin of the cow floor, each stall having a movable entrancegate opposite the first panel portion and a movable exit gate; a feedbox in each stall at the end adjacent the exit gate; an operators alleyadjacent the front panels of said stalls and below the level of the cowfloor, said alley and said cow floor having a common upright marginwhich forms a succession of obtuse'ly related planes each of which isvery close and substantially parallel to the plane of the immediatelyadjacent front panel portion of a stall; and a feed metering deviceadjacent each feed box the angle formed by the front panel portions ofeach stall being such that the feed metering device is substantiallyentirely to the cow floor side of a vertical plane through thoseportions of the common margin which are nearest the apexes of the anglesformed by the front panel portions of all said stalls.

3. A milking parlor arrangement comprising: an operators alley; anelevated cow floor alongside said alley and having an upright, commonmargin therewith which is straight from end to end of the alley; aplurality of parlor stalls arranged on said cow floor generally end toend, each stall having a first front panel portion immediately adjacentand parallel to said common margin and a second front panel portiondisposed at a large obtuse angle to the first panel portion, each stallhaving a movable entrance gate opposite the first panel portion and amovable exit gate; a feed box in each stall at the end adjacent the exitgate; and a feed metering device adjacent each feed box the angle formedby the two front panel portions of each stall being such that the feedmetering device is entirely to the cow floor side of the plane of saidcommon margin.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,198,048 Babson et a1. Apr. 23, 1940 2,587,846 Hodson Mar. 4, 19522,688,309 Ferris Sept. 7, 1954 2,726,635 Ferris Dec. 13, 1955

